Hand drawn or painted FDC (first day covers) have been done since the 1940s. Over the past few years I have begun combining my collection of comic character hand drawn sketches with FDCs. This blog is being maintained for the purpose of sharing my collection...

Dave Bullock style is reminiscent of the classic comic artists during a time when traveling by locomotive was an everyday occurrence...

The first day cover features the streamlined 20th Century Limited train stamp issued as part of the Celebrate the Century 1930s sheet. The Limited was operated by the New York Central Railroad from 1920 to 1967. The Limited was known for its style suggesting exclusivity, sophistication and speed...

Mannion's style can also be found in Batman: Black and White, Batman Gotham Knights, Tales from the Crypt, Captain America:Sentinel of Liberty, Satan's Circus of hell, Strange Pirate Tales and Warlash: Dark Noir...

Friday, October 14, 2011

2011.10 -
I first read about Summer Anne Burton's project Every Hall of Famer in the May web-issue of ESPN Magazine, and I immediately liked the project. Beginning in January 2011, Ms. Burton began drawing a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame every day in chronological order. This really is a momentous and monumental task.

I have always appreciated the sports editorial cartoonists when I was growing up, Bill Gallo and Bruce Stark. The art was great and the subject matter was usually the Yankees, Mets, boxing, horse racing, etc...A a child it was like reading the daily comics but learning about the current events in sports...

As I grew older I became more aware of artists like Willard Mullin, creator of the Brooklyn Bum, the iconic image of the Dodgers and Karl Hubenthal...Now when newspapers are cutting back on their content, most sports cartoons have vanished. Editorial cartoonists have picked up a few sports subjects, usually the worst of sports like steroid use, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Michael Vick, Tiger Woods...

I miss the sports cartoons...although there are a few sports related comic strips like In the Bleachers by Steve Moore, Tank McNamara and Cleats (which recently ended its run) by Bill Hinds, Benchies by Rick Pearson, Small Market Sports by Bill Charbonneau, Gil Thorp created in 1958 by Jack Berrill and currently drawn by Rod Whigham

When I read about Every Hall of Famer I knew I would like to obtain a sketch, and who better than Mickey Mantle. Admittedly I rooted for Roger Maris as a kid, probably because my brother rooted for Mantle. Since the USPS issued a set of stamps honoring baseball heroes Mantle, Roy Campanella, Mel Ott and Hank Greenberg, my choice for a sketch on cover had to be Mantle! What a joy I saw the drawing of Mantle, it's a hit!

I had the pleasure of meeting Mickey Mantle 1990.10.28 at a sports card show in Edison, NJ... I have an autograph book in which I do sketches of the athlete and then have them sign the page...

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Jack Matsuoka is best known for his book about Japanese relocation camp life titled Camp II, Block 211 (Japan Publications, Inc. 1974), a humorous look at life in Poston relocation camp.

Matsuoka began drawing at an early age. With no formal art education, Matsuoka would soon draw for the camp newspaper. In the 1960's Matsuoka was living in California and began drawing cartoons for the UC Bears and Berkely Gazette. By 1969 he was a freelance cartoonist, working as the Editorial cartoonist for Pacifica Tribune, as well as providing drawings for the San Francisco Examiner, San Mateo Times, San Jose Mercury. At the Times, Matsuoka would mostly draw sports cartoons...

Matsuoka has donated original drawings to the Japanese Historical Museum, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Cornell Universities.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Billy Tan became a regular artist on Marvel's Uncanny X-Men in 2006. he began his career as a penciller in the 1990s for Image Comics with Codename: Stryke Force, Tomb Raider and Witchblade.

While with Marvel, Tan has also provided work for Thor, New Avengers, Star Trek an Daredevil.

Wolverine first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1974 in The Incredible Hulk #180, in the last panel and making a full appearance in the following issue. Wolverine was created by Len Wein, John Romita Jr. and Herb Trimpe...

In 1975 Wolverine was recruited into the X-Men and by 1982 his popularity lead to a 4-part mini series. In 1988 Wolverine had his own title...

About Me

I have been a collector as far back as I can remember. Stamps, covers, autographs, baseball cards, comic books, coins, political buttons, sports memorabilia, space stamps and covers, and the list goes on.
This blog was set up to be able to share a small part of my collection with anyone who shares the interest.